St Andrean Allusions

Diving into St Andrews’ cultural presence

The name ‘St Andrews’ exists without an apostrophe. Why, you ask? Because the town and university are so old, they were named before the introduction of the apostrophe into the English language. This is just a glimpse into the history and cultural significance that this institution is seeped in. In film, literature, and pop culture, our university town — though small — has made interesting niches for itself throughout time. 

One of the most well-known ways that St Andrews has featured in film is in the opening scene of Chariots of Fire (1981), shot on West Sands Beach. The iconic film begins with a group of athletes running across the beach — one that you can easily visit and see for yourself, located near the Old Course. Other movies featuring the town include Tommy’s Honour (2016), which explores the lives of Scottish golfing champions Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, filmed in St Andrews. 

Moreover, the TV show Outlander, adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s novels set during the Jacobite Rising in 1740’s Scotland, has also brought attention to the town and institution. While the town itself is not a filming location, the show has filmed in various picturesque locations nearby, such as Falkland. St Andrews’ gothic architecture, cathedral ruins, and seaside views are emblematic of the natural beauty sought after by fans of the show wanting to visit Scotland. 

Allusion to St Andrews in literature, too, offers insights into the history and allure of the town and university. Sir Walter Scott, who would frequently refer to Scottish areas and locations in his writings, mentioned St Andrews and Fife in his novel The Antiquary, alluding to its academic prestige. James Boswell’s biography, The Life of Samuel Johnson, includes mentions of St Andrews, detailing the writer Samuel Johnson’s visit to the town and university in 1773, describing the institution's historical and academic significance. Additionally, Season 4 of The Crown was shot in St Andrews, depicting the romance between Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Certainly, most incoming students and freshers have gone down some rabbit hole online, in looking to confirm some idea of St Andrews’ illustrious and prestigious reputation through its presence in media and culture. There is, undoubtedly, a particular indulgence that comes with seeing your own university, and the town which becomes your home over the course of four or so years, referred and alluded to in fictitious worlds that exist outside St Andrews. But of course, these niche references to our institution are only heartening when we are unfamiliar with the place. As we settle into this town, its people, and customs, we find our own little references, craft our own inside-jokes with friends — and it is those little references and allusions which bring us the most joy.

The Scottish writer J.M. Barrie would often write about a variety of Scottish locales in his works, among them St Andrews. He served as Rector of the University from 1919 to 1922, and I would recommend that any St Andrews student read his last rectorial address: “To gain courage is what you came to St. Andrews for,” he writes, “with some alarums and excursions into college life.” 

These ‘excursions’ prove to be some of the most fulfilling aspects of a university experience, and it is beyond rewarding to see how this town, which has had its own role and presence in media and culture, becomes personal to you. 

“Were an old student given an hour in which to revisit the St Andrews of his day, would he spend more than half of it at lectures?”, Barrie writes. “He is more likely to be heard clattering up bare stairs in search of old companions.”

Much changes in the time that passes between being an incoming or prospective student, and having St Andrews be a place that you can recognise as a home of sorts. One comes to realise that, as you grow familiar with the town,  its cultural significance will be replaced with an awareness of what it holds for you. And those references, those inside jokes that we make during the time we spend here, are the most important. 

Illustration by Hannah Beggerow